Is ROI the only thing that impresses them? Should you ever get to know them as people? Can you guilt them?

If you’ve wondered how to influence venture capitalists, Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine just interviewed a half-dozen of the top VCs in the United States and asked them the million-dollar question, “How do you decide who to give money to?”

The answers were diverse, personal and illuminating. The interviews make them sound almost human. And they provide lots of clues as to how to reach them.

“In health care, we live and die by management’s experience and ability to execute.” — Adele Oliva, 1315 Capital, Philadelphia

“We work hard to reach the point where we — and the entrepreneurs we back — feel that the business, people, and relationships are the right fit.” — Tony Grover, RPM Ventures, Ann Arbor, Mich.

“I fund a startup when I see the kind of passion from its founders that enables forward momentum.” — David Cremin, DFJ Frontier, Los Angeles

“Research, research, research… Doing enough work to make yourself as certain as possible is a critical factor in investing.” — Dan Borok, Millennium Technology Value Partners, New York City

“I ask myself, ‘How will I feel in a year if I pass on this opportunity?’ ” — Alison Wagonfeld, Emergence Capital Partners, San Mateo, Calif.

“Many startups have passionate founders — and working with those founders is the best part of my job — but a company with passionate customers always gets my attention.” — Jodi Sherman Jahic, Aligned Partners, Menlo Park, Calif.

Clearly, the message is to ignite the passion. Successfully funded companies require passion from the founders, from their market opportunities, and from their customers. Get all three of these factors aligned, and even Silicon Valley’s toughest dealmakers will pay attention.